


Stories From SBI

by michelleinnit



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Gen, I put Schlatt in the tags in case I write a Tubbo backstory chapter, Just small stories of how they get together, Phil is trying his best, SBI family content, Techno and Wilbur are technically twins, Why is the fridge mom canon? I tried so hard to have it make sense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29154651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michelleinnit/pseuds/michelleinnit
Summary: " It was a kid.Phil’s heart starts to race.What was he supposed to do with a child? Where were his parents? How was he alive? "orHow Phil stumbles upon his three sons (and Tubbo) and gives these poor orphans a home.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 56





	1. Techno

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all!
> 
> Right now I am thinking the story structure will be 2 short stories per chapter, each chapter telling the story of one of the kids.
> 
> I already have Wilbur's chapter written to post and I will probably do that shortly after this chapter goes up.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!  
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comment!
> 
> If you have any suggestions let me know!

Phil spent his days alone.  
He didn’t mind, really. It was a peaceful life out in the wilderness. No one to bother him. No one to bother.

He quite enjoyed his solo trips to the Nether, surviving out of pure skill and spite. Unafraid of the constant dangers surrounding him.

He also loved his quiet days at home. Days spent in his modestly sized garden, haphazardly planting various crops. Days spent repairing weathered siding and broken glass. Days spent exploring a small radius outside his home.

Today was an exploring day.  
With a map in hand, Phil traversed the deep woods to the North of his home. He had set out at dawn, hoping to cover quite a bit of land, and the sun was just reaching the middle of the sky.

Phil found a small clearing by a creek and happily set up a little picnic for himself, his stomach growling for some much earned lunch.

A noise from across the water startled him before he could begin unpacking his food.

Quickly, Phil rises, sword in hand. He thought he would be safe from any creatures this late into the afternoon, but the shade of the trees must have provided a small shelter for whatever was lurking on the other side of the water.

He walks across the shallow creek, the water barely hitting his ankles, as he prepares for a hopefully short battle. 

Instead, Phil stumbles upon an old, rusted out fridge.  
The drawers had been pulled out, the bottoms of them full of holes. The inside of it looked...very used. Almost lived in.

Phil turns as he hears a small rustle in the bush behind the fridge.  
He leans a bit closer and can make out what appears to be pink hair.

He crouches down, praying whatever it is won’t take the opportunity to strike while his guard is down.

“Hey there...do you need some help?” he asks, his voice slightly gruff from lack of use.

The bush rustles again as the small creature steps forward slightly.  
It was a kid.

Phil’s heart starts to race.  
What was he supposed to do with a child? Where were his parents? How was he alive?

“It’s okay,” he reassures, setting his sword on the ground, “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

The child comes into the open completely, allowing Phil to get a better look of him.

His hair was definitely pink. The long locks tangled with a mix of dirt and branches.  
His face was slightly inhuman, small tusk like teeth protruding from his bottom lips.  
The good news was he appeared to be relatively harmless and completely alone.

“I’m Phil. What’s your name?”

The child cocks his head slightly, as if interpreting this new information.  
“I am Technoblade.” he grunts, completely monotone.

Phil smiles at him, “It’s nice to meet you, Technoblade.”  
He thought it would be best not to ask about the peculiar name.

Technoblade just nods as a response.

“Where do you live? Do you know where your parents are?” Phil asks, hoping he’s not being too overloading.

The child points to the fridge, as if that was an excellent answer to both those questions.

Phil glances at the fridge again, just now noticing the small rag somewhat resembling a blanket sitting inside. How was this kid still alive?

“Are you hungry, Technoblade? I have some lunch with me.”  
Knowing that he considered the fridge to be both his home and his parents, Phil was hoping no one had taught him not to accept food from strangers.

Technoblade nods and steps a little closer to Phil.

Phil smiles at him and stands, offering him his hand.

Technoblade looks up at Phil and, reluctantly, takes it.  
Together they cross the creek.

\--------------------

“Techno?” Phil calls, his voice echoing throughout the house.

No response.  
That was never a good sign.

“Technoblade?” He calls again, hoping the full name will get a response.

Again, silence.

“Son of a bitch,” Phil mutters under his breath as he walks through the house, searching for his son.

Silence from children was never a good thing, Phil had discovered over the two years since Techno had come into his life.

It usually meant they were lost or getting into some sort of trouble.  
The former has only happened once, and from the look on Techno’s face when Phil eventually found him, it was safe to say it would never happen again.

So that meant he must be doing something he shouldn’t.

Sometimes this thing would be getting into Phil’s various forbidden chests (ones containing weapons, potions, and other various things children shouldn’t have), coloring on the walls, covering up a broken window....the possibilities were endless.  
Phil did not want to think about the possibilities.

“Techno?” he yells as he steps out the backdoor.

“Yes?” asks a small voice.

It takes Phil a moment to locate where it came from.  
The garden.

“Jesus Christ, not the crops,” Phil groans as he walks over.

He peers over the wooden fence, getting a view of his son absolutely covered in dirt.  
“Tech, buddy, what’s going on here?” he asks, opening the gate.

Techno beams up at him.  
“I’m gardening!” he exclaims, the only thing changing about his voice is the volume.

Phil can’t help but laugh, “Is that so?”

Techno nods, obviously proud of himself, “I’m doing the potatoes.”

“Well that is just lovely. May I ask why you decided to garden today? Without me?”

“I want to be able to do it myself, Phil! In case I am ever alone again” he says matter-of-factly.

Phil’s heart just about shatters, “Techno, you don’t need to worry about being alone. I’m not going anywhere.”

The young boy considers this for a moment.  
“Well, one day I will be a grown up like you and I will live alone. I’ll need to know how to grow potatoes then.”

Phil couldn’t argue with that logic.  
“I guess that’s fair.” he complies, “But I can teach you the proper way a different day. It’s easier to do it with someone to teach you.”

Techno sighs dramatically, “Fine.”

“Let’s get you cleaned up, kiddo” Phil says with a smile.

Techno stands aggressively, not happy at the implication of taking a bath.

“If you do this without having a fit,” Phil begins, already sensing a fight, “I’ll take you exploring tomorrow.”

Techno cocks his head, weighing his options, before giving in, “Okay. But you have to promise.”

Phil smiles and holds out his hand, “I promise.”

Techno takes his hand with a grin, happily following him out of the garden.


	2. Wilbur

Phil had to break into a light jog in order to keep up with Techno, the trees making it increasingly hard to spot him.  
He had never been more thankful for his son’s brightly colored hair.

“Tech! Slow down!” he yells, praying he actually listens.

In all honesty, he couldn’t blame the kid for being excited.  
Today marked the fourth anniversary of Techno’s adoption.

They celebrated it as a makeshift birthday, as neither of them knew when his real one was.  
They also just guessed his age.  
The age part was extremely hard, as Phil hardly came into contact with children and could not accurately guess how old he was when he found him.

It took a lot of math and many old photos to reasonably assume that Techno was six when Phil found him in the fridge.  
Making him ten today.

Double digits, oh boy.

When asked what he wanted to do for the special day, Techno had surprisingly asked to return to the place Phil had found him.  
He claimed he wanted a more proper goodbye, but Phil could sense it was something bigger than that.

However, he respected his son’s privacy and accepted his fairly good excuse.

Increasingly out of breath, Phil calls out again, “Techno please! Slow down!”

“But we’re so close, Phil!” the young boy shouts back, his voice muffled by the trees.

Phil laughs to himself, shaking his head.  
It was nice to see him excited about something.

Finally, they reached the small clearing Phil knew all too well.  
The creek flowed gently, the water a little less full than when he was last here.

Techno stops and turns to Phil, trying to catch his breath without looking like he was trying to catch his breath.

Hopefully he doesn’t have asthma…

“C’mon Phil!” he says, his monotone voice as full of excitement as it can get.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he replies, making his way to the creek.

As they cross to the other side, Techno looks around expectantly.

Phil just watched him curiously, wondering what he was hoping to see.

It was only then that Phil spotted a foot just barely showing from behind the fridge.  
Not again. Please no.

Before Phil could say anything, Techno had spotted the worn out shoe as well, quickly running to see what, or who, was behind the fridge.

A sharp yelp came immediately after and Phil could see the foot quickly retract.

“Phil?” Techno asks, looking over at his father for guidance.

Phil sighs and moves next to Tech.  
Of all the ways this day could have gone..

He looks to the ground and sees a boy, probably about Tech’s age.  
His long brown hair hung awkwardly into his face, his yellow sweater torn and filthy.

Phil puts on his most comforting smile to greet him, “Hey there. I’m Philza and this is Techno. What’s your name?”

The brown haired boy looks up at him with wide eyes, “It’s uh...Wilbur.”

“Do you need some help, Wilbur?” 

“No, I think I’m alright.” Wilbur says as he stands, his legs shaking slightly under his weight.

Phil tries not to frown.  
“Are you sure? We were just out here celebrating Techno’s birthday and-”

“It’s your birthday too?” Wilbur interrupts, looking at Tech.

Techno hesitates slightly, “Yes..?”

“Now what are the odds of that?” Phil says amusedly, “No use spending your birthday alone, Wilbur. Do you want to come back for some cake?”

Wilbur looks over Phil for a moment, trying to decide if this gentle father was a threat.  
“Sure, I can come by for some cake.”

“Brilliant! We’ve got no time to lose then!” Phil responds, turning around.

As the three of them make their way back home Phil can’t help but wonder how he ended up with another child.  
And he makes a mental note to never go near that damned fridge again.

\--------------------

“Dadza!” Wilbur shouts as he slams the front door open.

Phil sighs, putting his dinner prep on pause.  
“Yes, Wil?”

Suddenly the twelve year old appears in the kitchen, his face red.

“Tech is being mean!”

“How so?” Phil asks, resuming his cooking after quickly confirming there was no bodily harm.

“He took my sword and started chasing me with it!” he whines.

Phil could hear the stomps of his eldest son entering the house.

“He’s lying!” Tech yells before walking into the kitchen.

“How do you know?” Phil asks, “You don’t know what he’s said.”

Techno crosses his arms, “I know he’s lying.”

“I’m not lying! You did take my sword!” Wilbur whines again.

“Yeah! After you made fun of my crown!”  
“Ok, but even you have to admit calling you the King of Nerds is funny.”

Phil sighs quietly, trying to syphon any and all strength and patience he can get.  
“Do you think you can apologize to each other and move on, or do I really need to get involved?”

Wilbur and Techno exchange a look, neither of them truly wanting Phil to resolve the issue but neither one wanting to be the first to concede.

Phil gives them another moment to respond before answering the question for them, “Alright then, I guess it’s duel time.”

He sets down his knife and turns to his kids, “Let’s get you geared up.”

\-----

Phil stands between his two sons, examining their armor one last time.  
The goal is never to let them beat the shit out of each other with no repercussions, the goal is to give them a supervised outlet for their anger.  
Plus, it's free training.

Phil takes a few steps back, “You remember the rules?”

Wilbur and Techno both nod, their eyes locked on each other.  
Techno calm and confident, Wilbur antsy and eager.  
It was anyone’s game.

“Ready?”  
They take their stances.

“Set.”  
Wilbur swallows hard. Techno grins.

“Duel!”

The sound of wood on wood echoes throughout the empty field.  
Techno gained his advantages quickly, making sure to make Wilbur back up first.

Wilbur desperately searched for a way out of the gridlock they’re in, Techo’s sword over his, the force pushing his heels into the dirt. 

This battle of strength lasted for what seemed like an eternity, Wilbur’s hands shaking with the effort of keeping his brother back.

Suddenly, with a small grunt, Wil steps to the side.  
Techno falls to the ground, hitting it with such force that Phil had to resist the urge to immediately rush in to help.

Wilbur grins down at his fallen foe, touching the tip of his sword to Techo’s back.

“I win.” he declares, stepping back.

Techno grunts inaudibly as he stands, looking to Phil for confirmation, although he already knew the truth.

Phil nods, “Fair and square.”

Tech throws his sword to the ground and storms off towards the house.

Wilbur crosses his arms, “Isn’t he supposed to apologize?”

Phil sighs as he watches Tech walk off, “He’ll come around, Wil. He just needs to calm down first.”  
He picks the discarded sword up out of the dirt and starts walking, assuming Wilbur will follow.

“I’m sure he’ll apologize at dinner, alright?” he says, attempting to raise Wilbur’s spirits.

“If you say so, Phil,” Wil says as he passes him, “If you say so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love how Dadza parents.
> 
> I felt like dueling for arguments is a very...SBI thing to do and it would explain why sixteen year old Tommy was so willing to duel Dream.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!   
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comments, any feedback is appreciated! :)


	3. Tommy

Wilbur walks through the woods with Techno, hyper aware of every noise around them.

“It’s around here somewhere, right?” Wil asks, looking at his brother.

Techno shrugs, “Yeah, I think so. We can’t spend all day out here though, Phil will be pissed if we miss training.”

“I know, I know,” Wil replies, “We’ll make it quick.”

“I don’t even understand why we’re out here.” Techno says, kicking a rock.

“Well after your dream the other night...I don’t know. I just feel like there’s something out here.”

Techno sighs, obviously regretting telling Wil about that, “Okay? And how is that our problem? I don’t want another brother, Wilbur. Orphans suck.”

“Techno!” he exclaims, looking at him in shock, “What the hell, man? If there is a child out here we can’t leave him to starve!”

“If there’s a kid out here he’s survived this long...if he dies it’s just natural selection.”

Wilbur stares at him a moment more before looking ahead, deciding it would be best not to respond.

The pair enters the familiar clearing, the faint sound of water bringing their attention to the fridge across the way.  
Wil shivers just looking at it, remembering the freezing nights where that rusted box was his only shelter.

Thank heavens Phil had found him, he would be long dead by now if he had been left out here alone.

“Looks empty!” Techno says, hardly even looking around.

“Let’s cross just to make sure,” Wilbur replies, walking to the creek.

Techno groans and reluctantly follows him, hiking his pants up so they won’t get wet.

“We can only stay for like two minutes, Wilbur.” Techno says as he watches his brother from the edge of the water.

Wilbur hums a reply, already checking in bushes for a, so far, imaginary child.

His gaze shifts to behind the fridge and he gasps, “Techno? I think we’re too late.”

“Huh?” he asks, stepping forward to see what Wil was looking at.

Behind the fridge rested a young boy, at most seven years old, his clothes tattered.  
Upon first glance it was impossible to tell if he was alive, everything about him was impossibly still.

“Maybe you should poke him,” Techno jokes, nudging Wilbur.

“This isn’t funny, Tech!” Wil scolds as he steps closer to the small boy, “Should we go get Phil?”

“What’s Phil gonna do? Let’s just go home, Wil.”

“I don’t want to leave him here! I...I think we should bury him.”

Techno groans, “We don’t have the time or tools for that.”

Wilbur looks at Techno, his eyes glossy with tears, “Can you please be normal for two seconds?”

“I am being normal!”

“You’re being an asshole! At least pretend to have emotions!”

Techno rolls his eyes, “It’s not like I knew the kid! People die, Wil. It’s just how it goes.”

“Who’s dead?” a small voice asks.

Wil turns to see the child sitting up and he screams, stepping back.

Techno erupts in laughter, “You got scared by a kid!”

“Shut up!” he replies, his face heating with embarrassment.

“Who are you?” the kid asks, looking up at the pair.

“I’m Wilbur and that’s my brother Techno. What’s your name?” 

The boy grins and stands, “I’m Tommy!”

“What are you doing out here all by yourself, Tommy?” Wilbur asks gently.

“How are you not dead?” Techno adds bluntly and Wil shoots him a look.

Tommy is completely unphased, “Well I was walking in the woods and then I came here! I fighted all the monsters and they didn’t even hurt me! I used my sticks and they were all scared of me!”  
He makes sure to act out fighting different mobs, complete with sound effects and shouts.

Wilbur glances at Techno, “Is that so?”

Tommy nods enthusiastically, “Yeah! And then I fell asleep and now I’m here with you.”

Wilbur takes another look at Tommy, “Tommy, are you bleeding?”

“No!” he yells, clutching his arm in the place where it is bleeding, “I’m too strong to bleed!”

“You’re clearly hurt.” Techno says, really not wanting to deal with this child.

“It’s okay. We can help you.” Wil reassures.

“I don’t need help! I’m big!” Tommy shouts, stomping his foot.

Wilbur sighs, deciding to take a different approach, “Tommy, can you come home with us? The woods are so scary, Techno and I need protection.”

The child’s rage quickly turns to excitement, his eyes gleaming, “Okay!”

“Bruh..” Techno groans, not wanting this five year old to think he’s tougher than him.

Wilbur just ignores his brother, offering his hand to Tommy, “Take my hand so I won’t be as scared.”

Tommy eagerly grabs Wil’s hand, “I will protect you!”

Wil can’t help but smile at the young boy, “Thank you, Tommy.”

Techno has already started to walk away, “Phil’s not gonna be happy. We need a strict no more orphans rule.”

Wil rolls his eyes, “Philza will be happy to have a new edition.”

“Famous last words.” Techno replies.

And the three boys cross the creek.

\----------

“Dadza!” Wilbur shouts, opening the front door, “We’re home! And we’ve brought a surprise!”

“Surprise is an understatement.” Techno mumbles, stepping into the house behind Wilbur and Tommy.

“One second!” Phil yells from upstairs, sounding like he just woke up.

“This is where you live?” Tommy asks, looking around.

Wilbur smiles, “Yeah! Do you like it?”

Tommy nods, his eyes still wide as he takes in his surroundings.

Phil’s footsteps travel down the stairs and Techno gives Wil a knowing look, certain that they are about to be in trouble.

Phil stops at the last step, his eyes moving between the three boys in front of him, “You went back to that damned fridge, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but-” Wilbur begins.

“No buts. I told you not to go round there anymore!” Phil interrupts.

“Phil we couldn’t just leave him to die.” 

Phil looks at Tommy again, guilt hitting him when he sees the poor child hiding behind Wilbur.

He sighs quietly, closing his eyes for a moment, “Alright. Fine. But he sleeps in your room, Wil.”

Wilbur opens his mouth to protest but quickly realizes that would be a poor choice.

“Can we have some breakfast, Phil? I’m starving.” Techno says, eager to get rid of the tension in the room.

“Yeah, I’ll get that started. You boys get…” Phil hesitates slightly, realizing he doesn’t know the kid’s name.

“His name is Tommy,” Wilbur says, trying to save Phil from saying something stupid

“Right. Get Tommy settled in. Maybe try to find something for him to wear?”

“Alright, Dadza.” Wil replies, taking Tommy’s hand again.

“Whatever you say, Phil.” Techno says.

Phil smiles at his boys as they head up the stairs. As happy as he was to know his kids were considerate enough to save a life, he really needed to have a talk with them about the hardships of raising abandoned children.  
And he needed to add ‘No orphans’ to his list of rules.

\--------------------

“Phiiilll,” Tommy whines, pushing his plate away, “I’m not eating that!”

Phil sighs and takes his seat next to Techno, who is reading a book to escape from the routine dinner chaos, “It’s good for ya, Toms.”

“I don’t care! It’s disgusting!” he replies, making a face.

“Tommy I think it’s good,” Wilbur says, hoping to get him to stop making a fuss.

“That’s because you’re a bitch.” Tommy retorts with a grin.

“Tommy!” Phil scolds, “Where did you learn that?”

“Probably from you, Phil,” Techno replies without looking up.

“I don’t swear around him!”

“Phil, you literally screamed ‘mother fucker’ while making dinner while we were all sitting in here like ten minutes ago.” Wilbur says.

Phil looks at Tommy, actively ignoring Wil, “Don’t curse anymore.”

“Why not, bitch?” Tommy replies, testing how far he can take this.

“Tommy. I mean it. Knock it off.”

Tommy recoils slightly, debating if he really wants to get in trouble tonight, “Fine.”

“Thank you. Now please eat your dinner.” 

“No! It’s gross!” Tommy shouts, pushing himself away from the table.

“You haven’t even tried it!” Phil says, quickly losing his patience.

“I don’t need to try it to know it tastes bad.” Tommy replies, crossing his arms as he slouches down.

“Tommy. I’m not playing around. You eat your food or I’m waking you up early tomorrow to do chores.”

Tommy whines, letting himself slide out of his chair, “But Philzaaa!”

“But nothing. You’re gonna sit up and you’re gonna eat your food. I worked hard to make it.”

Tommy gets back into his chair, making a huge show of it, and starts to eat his food with his hands, knowing how much it annoys everyone.

“For God’s sake, Tommy. Use your fork!” Phil groans, wishing he would behave for just one meal.

“This happens every night and somehow you’re still surprised.” Techno mumbles.

“Tommy, that's so gross. Did you even wash your hands before eating? You were just messing with worms outside.” Wilbur says, looking at his younger brother with a mix of concern and nausea.

Tommy looks at Wilbur, “Dirt never hurt anyone.”

“Phil, I think I’m gonna be sick,” Wil says, looking down at his plate.

“Tommy please stop causing problems. Just use your fork.” Phil says, looking at Tommy with tired eyes.

Tommy looks around the table, deciding he’s satisfied with the level of disruption he’s caused tonight, and picks up his fork, “Okay.”

Phil breathes a sigh of relief, “Thank you.”

Tommy grins, “You are so welcome, Philza Minecraft.”

At this point, Phil can’t even muster up the will to care. Any sort of obedience from Tommy was a win.  
The little devil was lucky they loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tommy is a little brat but I love him so much haha
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Tubbo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Shocking.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> If you're enjoying the story let me know :)
> 
> Also, this is where this gets a little more....AU-ish? I include modern technology to make things flow better/make more sense.  
> And really its not that far from what has been mentioned in the actual SMP (Phil saying Tubbo fell out of the car, Tom Nook's wireless communication system, etc) so I think it's fine :)

“Tommy, a watched pot never boils,” Phil says as he walks into the room to see his youngest son still sitting in the window.

“What the hell does that even mean?” Tommy asks, his focus still remaining on the outside world.

Phil sighs, wanting to scold Tommy for swearing but knowing that ‘hell’ was the most tame word he could have used, “It means that waiting here won’t make your friend come any sooner. Go do something to take your mind off things!”

The eight year old turns dramatically, “Doing things takes effort, Philza. I need to save all of my energy for Tubbo!”

“I think you’ll have plenty of energy for your playdate. Why don’t you go see what Wil and Techno are doing?” Phil suggests.

Tommy groans, “That’s so boring! They’re probably training or reading or something stupid like that! They’ll just send me right back here anyway.”

Well, Phil couldn’t argue with that. As much as Wilbur and Techno loved their younger brother, they were teenagers who did not have much in common with him.  
Techno never really tried to get along with Tommy, the difference in age and maturity a little too jarring to handle. Phil still remembers the short time when Tommy first started living with them when he would catch Techno reading him to sleep. Things like that rarely happened nowadays.  
Wilbur tried a little bit more to include him in things but even he got sick of Tommy’s antics after a while. Especially when those antics included going through his stuff.

“Alright, you win. Enjoy your window.” Phil says, preparing to leave the room.

“I will!” Tommy says as he turns around once again.

As Phil starts to leave the room he hears a sharp shriek, his heart practically stopping.  
Why was this child so loud?

“Tubbo!!” Tommy screams happily as he rushes to the front door, flinging it open.

Phil exhales and turns around again, figuring he should go meet the kid and whoever was dropping him off.

He heads outside, seeing Tommy already excitedly talking to another young boy, who he assumes is Tubbo.

A tall man steps out of the car, a baseball cap doing nothing to cover the horns on his head.  
He gives Phil a smile and steps towards him and Phil can smell traces of alcohol on his breath.

“Thanks for looking after the little bugger for the weekend. He’s been talking about this nonstop all week, it's kinda been driving me crazy,” the man says, not even attempting to hide his irritated tone.

“Oh, it’s no problem! It’s nice to have some confirmation that Tommy is actually talking to other kids.” Phil replies with a smile.

“Yeah, sure.” he says before turning to his son, “Tubbo, did you get your shit out of the car?”

Tubbo looks at him and holds up his backpack.

The man faces Phil again, “There should be a list of numbers somewhere in there. If I don’t answer my cell, call my office and ask for Schlatt. If I’m not there whatever’s going on with Tubbo is your problem.”

Phil tries not to show what he was feeling, instead keeping his typical smile on, “Sure thing. But you have nothing to worry about, Tubbo is safe with us.”

As if on cue, Wilbur comes barrelling outside, sword in hand, “Tommy were you in my room again?

Tommy’s eyes widen and it’s clear that he’s guilty, “No I wasn’t!”

Phil laughs nervously, “Oh the joys of parenting, right?”

“Does he have a fucking sword?” Schlatt asks, sounding almost excited.

“Yeah, I train my kids in different fighting styles and-”  
Phil is cut off by Wilbur and Tommy shouting.  
Their voices overlap to the point where nothing either of them are saying is intelligible. However, Phil knows them well enough to assume they are both just screaming a variety of insults at each other, hoping something sticks.  
The yelling stops abruptly, as it always does.

“Don’t do it again, Tommy. I’m not afraid to duel an eight year old.” Wilbur says before heading back into the house, slamming the door behind him.

“Well,” Schlatt begins, “I think that’s my cue to leave. Have fun you little shithead, I’ll be back eventually.”

Tubbo smiles innocently, waving slightly, “Bye, Schlatt!”

Schlatt gives him a half-hearted wave back before getting into his car and heading off.

As soon as the car pulls away, Tommy grabs Tubbo’s hand and pulls him into the house.

Phil can’t help but smile at their excited chatter.  
It was nice to see Tommy happy.

\----------

Tubbo sits on the porch, hugging his bag to his chest, the rain dripping off the porch onto his shoes. Schlatt was late. He was supposed to be there over an hour ago but there was no sign of him. And now it was too late for him to go back inside and tell everyone that he was forgotten. He had been out here alone for so long already, it would just be embarrassing to say something at this point.

Faint thunder rolls through the sky, the crackling of it oddly soothing to the young boy sitting alone.  
The storm had brought a chill through the area, Tubbo’s thin collared shirt not nearly enough to keep him warm.  
His stomach growls and he wishes he had asked to stay for dinner, thinking about how good the meal smelled before he headed outside.  
“This is the worst,” he mumbles to himself, burying his face in his bag.

Suddenly, the door behind him opens, causing him to jump.

“Tubbo?” Phil asks, stepping outside, “What are you still doing here?”

Tubbo turns to look at him, tears already filling his eyes.  
“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Philza,” he stutters, “Schlatt is just a little late.”

Phil closes the door, taking a seat next to him, “You don’t need to apologize, Tubbo. Do you want me to call him?”

Tubbo shakes his head, “No, it’s okay. He’ll probably be here soon.”

“Let’s go back inside, Tommy is already in bed but I can give you some dinner while you wait. I always make extra.”

Tubbo looks up at him, wiping his eyes, “Really?”

Phil smiles at him, “Of course, Tubbo.”

Tubbo wraps his arms around Phil gratefully.  
Phil warmly returns the hug, wondering how long it had been since Tubbo had had a real hug.  
How physically affectionate could Schlatt really be?

After a moment, Tubbo pulls away from Phil, using his sleeve to wipe his face.

Phil stands and offers him his hand, “C’mon, kiddo.”

Tubbo smiles up at him and takes his hand, eager to get inside where it was warm.

Techno looks up from his book as the pair walks into the house, “Heh? I thought he went home like two hours ago.”

“Well he didn’t. And you’re going to be quiet about it because Tommy just went to bed and I cannot handle him right now.” Phil says, leading Tubbo towards the kitchen, “I’m gonna get Tubbo some dinner, can you watch for his dad?”

“Sure, Phil.” Techno sighs, “Not like I’m busy or anything.”

“Thanks Tech,” Phil replies with a smile, walking into the kitchen.

Techno mumbles a reply but it goes unheard as Phil focuses on getting Tubbo something to eat.  
Hopefully Schlatt would get there soon.

\----------

Phil sits on the couch, Tubbo’s head resting in his lap. He gently runs his hand through the boy’s hair as he stares out the window, trying to convince himself Schlatt will pull up any minute.  
He had tried calling Schlatt at least fifteen times throughout the night, each time being met with a full voicemail box.  
Techno had resigned to his room hours ago, leaving Phil alone in the quiet house. 

A quiet creaking comes from the stairs and Phil looks up to see Wilbur coming down.  
He stops when he sees Phil, clearly confused, “Why is he here?”

Phil shrugs, “His dad hasn’t come to get him yet.”

“Really?” he asks, making his way down the stairs and over to the couch, “That’s...depressing.”

Phil sighs, “I know. I’m just glad I went outside when I did. He’d probably still be out there in the rain…”

“Phil the child savior,” Wilbur responds with a laugh.

“What are you doing up, Wil?” Phil asks, changing the subject.

“Oh just normal Wilbur things,” he answers, sitting on the couch, “Woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

Phil nods knowingly, turning his attention back to the window.

“You look tired, Phil.” 

“It’s late.”

“Why don’t you go to bed? I can watch for a bit.”

Phil smiles slightly at Wilbur, “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not. I’m gonna be up anyways, might as well have something to do.”

“Thanks, son,” Phil says, “Wake me up after he leaves.”

Wilbur nods.

The two of them carefully rearrange themselves, trying their best not to wake the sleeping eight year old. 

“Goodnight, Wil.”

“Goodnight, Dadza.”

Phil smiles and heads up the stairs.  
Part of him hoping Tubbo will still be there in the morning.


	5. Tommy and Tubbo

Wilbur sat in the grass by the forest, enjoying the mild weather. His notebook pages flipped lightly in the soft breeze, the sun shining warmly on his exposed skin.  
It was quiet out here, perfect for practicing guitar.  
Phil had sent him outside an hour ago to keep an eye on his little brother and his friend but admittedly, Wilbur hadn’t even looked for them.  
He could faintly hear their shouts from where he was now sat and that seemed good enough for him.   
They’re eight, how much watching do they really need?

“Wilbur!”

Wilbur looks up at the sound of his name, seeing a teary eyed Tubbo running out of the forest, Tommy right behind him.  
Wil sighs and sets his guitar down, just hoping the injuries aren’t too severe.  
Phil would be pissed if one of them died on his watch.

Wilbur gives Tubbo a quick look over as he stops in front of him, wiping his face.  
It didn’t look like he was hurt, physically at least.

“What did Tommy do?” he asks, giving his brother a look.

“He..he...he made me eat bugs!” Tubbo stammers through his tears.

Wilbur looks at Tubbo for a moment, really taking this in.  
“He made you eat...bugs.”

Tubbo nods.

“He didn’t care until they were in his mouth,” Tommy mumbles, crossing his arms.

“You put them in your mouth?” Wilbur asks, somewhat horrified.

Tubbo nods again, “Tommy told me to!”

“Tubbo, you don’t have to do everything Tommy says. I actually do nothing he tells me to.”

“Wilbur! Breathe!” Tommy shouts, eager to prove his brother wrong.

Wilbur doesn’t even look at Tommy, deciding acknowledging him would give him too much power, “Just say no, kid.”

“He told me he does it all the time and that they’re good,” Tubbo begins, “But it made a horrible crunching sound…”

“You’re just a wimp!” Tommy says, kicking the dirt.

“Tommy. I think I need to let Philza know you’ve been eating bugs.” Wilbur says, happy to make this someone else’s problem.

“Wil, you wouldn’t.” Tommy pleads.

“It can’t be healthy for you, Toms. It made Tubbo cry!” 

“Tubbo cries at everything! Once Phil told him he loved him before bed and he sobbed for like twenty minutes!” Tommy states, “He’ll get over the bugs.”

Tubbo’s face flushes with embarrassment, “Tommy! You said you wouldn’t tell anyone!”

“What? It’s not a big deal,” Tommy replies, defensively.

Wilbur silently collects his stuff and stands, “Let’s go find Phil.”

“Wilby,” Tommy whines, “Please don’t tell Phil!”

“Tommy, he needs to know you’ve been eating fucking bugs. That’s so gross.” he replies, offering his hand to Tubbo.

Tubbo takes it, wiping his face again with his other arm.

“Besides, it looks like you and Tubbo have some little scrapes we need to sort out. Your knees are atrocious, Toms.”

“I hate you, Wilbur,” Tommy replies duly.

“I’m sure you do.” Wilbur replies as he starts walking.

“You’re so...you’re so dumb!” Tommy shouts, following him.

“Am I really? Do go on.” 

“You dress all funny! And you’re so stupidly pale!”

Wilbur looks back at him, “Tommy, you’re wearing ripped overalls and you burn in the sun after two seconds.”

Tommy angrily growls something about Wilbur having a dumb face before looking at the ground.

Wilbur smiles smugly, satisfied with his win, and continues leading the boys to the house.

\----------

“Dadza?”

Phil opens his eyes, adjusting quickly to the darkness around him. The clock next to his bed flashes 2:33am, far too late for any of the kids to be bothering him. Phil sits up and sees the outlines of Tommy and Tubbo in the doorway.

“Dadza, we threw up,” Tommy says softly, stepping into the room.

Phil sighs, “Both of you?”

“I’m sorry Mr. Minecraft,” Tubbo whispers, “We got into the sweets.”

“Tubbo!” Tommy replies, “You weren’t supposed to say that.”

“It’s alright, Toms. Did you two need help...cleaning anything up?” Phil asks, shuddering with the thought of wiping up puke at two in the morning.

Tommy shakes his head, “No..”

Phil sighs with relief, “Alright then. Did you need something else?”

“Could we...Could we sleep with you?” 

“Please?” Tubbo adds.

Phil smiles, “Of course, kiddos. Try not to hog the blankets. Or throw up in my bed.”

“Okay!” Tommy says, eagerly crawling up into the bed, getting as close to Phil as possible.

Tubbo follows more reluctantly, making sure to keep a reasonable distance between him and Tommy.

“Good night, boys.” Phil whispers, lying back down.

“Good night, Dadza”  
“Good night, Mr. Minecraft.”

Phil smiles as Tommy curls in against him.   
It wasn’t often Tommy allowed any sort of affection between them, it almost made him wish he was sick more.

And as he lays in the silence, listening to the two boys fall asleep, he realizes just how lucky he is to have his family. His kids saved him as much as he saved them.  
They taught him kindness, patience, empathy. Really, they made him human again.  
You don’t realize how monotonous and draining life can be until you’re pulled out of that situation.  
He spent his days killing and looting, not once having a second thought about who he was or what he was doing.

Being human, however, had its faults as well.  
It hurts to feel. To let yourself be vulnerable.  
Nothing prepares you for the hurt you feel when your child cries from pain.  
Nothing prepares you for six in the morning tantrums and eleven pm shouting matches.  
Nothing prepares you for sitting with your son’s friend as you promise him for the millionth time that his dad will be there soon.

But it all had to be worth it.  
Years from now he’d look back and laugh at the bad moments because he’d know that they couldn’t get to the good without them.  
It was all gonna work out.  
It was all gonna be fine.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't gonna include "Mr. Minecraft" in this but...how could I not? I fully believe Tommy lied to Tubbo about their last name and Phil doesn't have the heart to correct him.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was a little bit different from previous ones, I know, I just really wanted to share these two short stories I had in mind for the two besties haha
> 
> Don't forget to leave your comments and kudos! I really appreciate all the interaction and feedback!
> 
> Until next time <3


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